Progress

Progress doesn’t always look impressive, but it is still progress.

Overlooking growth happens.

We have this idea of how we should look, where we should be with any goal that we set, but when that growth is slow, we just can’t seem to grasp that any growth has happened at all.

God works through process, not pressure. And that is what we are going to be talking about today.

Sometimes I’m all into learning something new, and sometimes I think about the process, and if there isn’t an instant gratification I can see, then I judge myself and my ability before I even start.

It’s that all-or-nothing kind of mentality. But when I am aware that there is a process and growth that will happen, and that it will most likely be slow, I have to prepare myself because I can become discouraged or not even recognize the growth at all.

It’s in the goals we set that we can find ourselves noticing the change through the process.

Think about a mortgage payment, for instance — it takes time to pay it off, and sometimes it seems like it will never happen, but little by little and year after year, that amount gets smaller, and then one day it’s paid off.

There is a process to the progress.

In our human nature, we can become frustrated by God’s view of progress versus ours.

We like to know there is change, and we like to see the change, but when it comes to our walk with God, we know it will take time, and we have to be patient.

Patience… that’s the word we all cringe at.

But it’s true.

Even in Philippians 1:6, it says that God began a good work within us, and He will carry it through to completion.

His version of complete and ours is different, which is why we must learn to be patient and let Him do the work.

Our microwave stopped working, and in its place, I got an air fryer… good heavens, you would have thought I turned my family’s world upside down.

“How would we heat this and that?” they said.

I said, “You can still heat up everything the same way, except for popcorn.”

They wanted a microwave. They didn’t want to have to wait five minutes instead of one minute.

So, I got another microwave.

But it’s that instant result that we all want.

It’s like comparing a before-and-after picture, thinking a lot of change has happened, just to look at it and see unmet expectations.

There will be many times that we just won’t see the progress we have made, and that is because it’s us — we know and see ourselves. But others will notice, and they may even mention something about it to you, but if they don’t, keep going.

Most of the time, progress happens and we don’t even know it’s happening unless we are tracking things really closely.

If you are on a journey of change and you are struggling to see progress, keep this in mind: God is growing me step by step, and every step matters.

Don’t give up. Remember that God’s perspective is different than yours.

When I started going to the gym after my third child, I struggled because I would see these other moms coming to the gym, some with kids the same age as mine, and they didn’t even look like they needed to be there.

It started to steal my joy a little bit and made my workouts harder because I was doubting the point and my progress.

But then it hit me… I’m not built like them, and I don’t look like them, so why would I ever expect to?

This changed my thought process and the way I looked at my progress. Even to this day, I struggle with comparison, and I have to remember back to that moment… do what you are doing and let that be that.

Give yourself some grace when it comes to making progress.

I’m grateful that Jesus values faithfulness over speed.

I was thinking about this and realized how true it is.

The disciples walked with Him for three years, and even in the last moments, He was teaching them.

He knew they were hardheaded, like I am, and that some of them needed things repeated before progress would take place. But He also knew their hearts, just like He knows yours.

He knows that faithfulness and consistency lead to progress.

So be thankful that God sees your faithfulness and understands that progress takes time.

We are people of perfectionism and control, and when things don’t go the way we want, we can find ourselves feeling like we just aren’t ever going to get it.

But we need to remember that there will always be progress when we move forward — we are just seeking perfection when we don’t need to be.

Think about something you’ve been working on. Has there been growth happening even if at first you didn’t recognize it?

I bet there has been.

Let’s take a moment to pray.

Lord, as we look back on this past year and as we look to the year ahead, give us the patience, endurance, and trust that we need in Your timing.

Keep us mindful that You are with us in every step and that though we may not notice the progress, You do. Lord, give us Your view on the change and progress we have made so that we can celebrate it and give You all the glory. Thank You for loving us and guiding us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I was running the descaling cycle on the office Keurig the other day, and I was running the cycle through like it says, you know, until the light turns off.

Well, it had been a long time — really too much time had passed — and many gallons of water had been used, and this light was not turning off.

So, I googled it and ended up needing to unplug the machine so it would reset.

I thought so many times, “I should be done with this by now. It’s never taken this long before,” but it just wasn’t happening. There was no progress being made.

We can feel like this in life — going and doing what we are supposed to be doing and just waiting for the moment that we can say, “Okay, I did it. It’s complete.”

If God calls us to something, we have to stay obedient to the call, no matter if it seems to be taking longer than we want or think it should — and that is because progress in faith takes consistency.

Like running the descaling cycle on a Keurig and waiting for the “all done” light to turn off, keep going until God moves you or releases you.

Where do you think you might be overlooking progress that is happening in your life?

Remember that progress is proof that God is at work, even in the small progress. Growth doesn’t take perfection — only willingness — and you’ve got to trust the process that God is using to shape you.

Celebrate every little step of progress!